Automated mass rearing system for insect larvae

ABSTRACT

Embodiments of the present disclosure can provide an automated mass rearing system for insect larvae. The automated mass rearing system can facilitate hatching, feeding, monitoring the growth and emergence of insect larvae and pupae. In some embodiments, the automated mass rearing system can include a production unit, a transportation unit, a storage unit, a dispensing unit, and a monitoring unit. In some embodiments, this automated mass rearing system can facilitate mass mosquito growth from egg hatching all the way through to full adults or certain stages in between such as the larvae rearing process (i.e., from larvae to pupae) with little or no human intervention. By automating the rearing and transportation of insect eggs, larvae, and pupae, deaths or developmental issues can be minimized. Various techniques and apparatuses are used in this automation that causes minimal disturbance to the insects during development, and thereby maximizing survival rate and fitness of the insects.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 15/716,98, titled “Automated Mass Rearing System for InsectLarvae,” filed Sep. 27, 2018, and claims the benefit of priority of U.S.Provisional Application No. 62/404,372, filed Oct. 5, 2016, entitled“Automated Mass Rearing System for Insect Larvae”, the entirety of bothwhich are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

Mass rearing of mosquito larvae has conventionally been very laborintensive, requiring massive manpower. A lab technician may manually adda number of eggs or mosquito larvae to a plastic tray and determine theamount of food and water to add into the tray for the mosquito larvae.The lab technician may hand carry the plastic tray to a storage area tostore the plastic tray. Periodically, the lab technician may performobservations on the mosquito larvae in the plastic tray and add food andwater as needed. After the mosquito larvae evolve into pupae, the labtechnician may segregate the females from the males using two glassplates. Not only are these processes very labor intensive, but alsohighly inaccurate when carried out by a person.

BRIEF SUMMARY

Various examples are described for automated insect rearing systems andmethods. One disclosed system can include a larvae dispensing stationhaving a first horizontal surface; a larvae dispenser comprising alarvae container and a larvae dispensing vessel, a first end of thelarvae dispensing vessel coupled to a first orifice defined in thelarvae container and a second end of the larvae dispensing vesselmovable to be proximate to the first horizontal surface to dispenselarvae from the larvae container at the first horizontal surface; a fooddispensing station having a second horizontal surface; a food dispensercomprising a food container and a food dispensing vessel, a first end ofthe food dispensing vessel coupled to a second orifice defined in thefood container and a second end of the food dispensing vessel movable tobe proximate to the second horizontal surface to dispense food from thefood container at the second horizontal surface; and a robotic storagesystem comprising at least one robotic arm and a shelf, the robotic armconfigured to transfer a rearing container from the second horizontalsurface to the shelf.

One disclosed method can include dispensing, by a larvae dispenser of anautomated rearing system, larvae into a rearing container; dispensing,by a food dispenser of the automated rearing system, food for the larvaeinto the rearing container; transporting, by one or more robotic arms ofthe automated rearing system, the rearing container to a storage area ofthe automated rearing system; and monitoring, by one or more processorscoupled to the automated rearing system, development of the larvae inthe rearing container using one or more sensors in the storage area ofthe automated rearing system.

These illustrative examples are mentioned not to limit or define thescope of this disclosure, but rather to provide examples to aidunderstanding thereof. Illustrative examples are described in theDetailed Description, which provides further description. Advantagesoffered by various examples may be further understood by examining thisdisclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a simplified block diagram of an automated massrearing system in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 2 illustrates a simplified automated process of mass rearing insectlarvae performed by an automated mass rearing system in accordance withsome embodiments.

FIG. 3 depicts a flow chart for mass rearing insect larvae using anautomated mass rearing system in accordance with certain embodiments.

FIG. 4 depicts another flow chart for mass rearing mosquito larvae usingan automated mass rearing system in accordance with certain embodiments.

FIG. 5 depicts an example computing device for automated mass rearingsystems according to this disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Examples are described herein in the context of automated mass rearingsystems for insect larvae. Those of ordinary skill in the art willrealize that the following description is illustrative only and is notintended to be in any way limiting. Reference will now be made in detailto implementations of examples as illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings. The same reference indicators will be used throughout thedrawings and the following description to refer to the same or likeitems.

In the interest of clarity, not all of the routine features of theexamples described herein are shown and described. It will, of course,be appreciated that in the development of any such actualimplementation, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be madein order to achieve the developer's specific goals, such as compliancewith application- and business-related constraints, and that thesespecific goals will vary from one implementation to another and from onedeveloper to another.

Some embodiments can provide an automated mass rearing system for insectlarvae. The automated mass rearing system can facilitate hatching,feeding, monitoring the growth and emergence of insect larvae and pupae.In some embodiments, the automated mass rearing system can include aproduction unit, a transportation unit, a storage unit, a dispensingunit, and a monitoring unit. In some embodiments, this automated massrearing system can facilitate mass mosquito growth from egg hatching allthe way through to full adults or certain stages in between such as thelarvae rearing process (i.e., from larvae to pupae) with little or nohuman intervention. By automating the rearing and transportation ofinsect eggs, larvae, and pupae, deaths or developmental issues can beminimized. Various techniques and apparatuses are used in thisautomation that causes minimal disturbance to the insects while they'redeveloping, and thereby maximizing survival rate and fitness of theinsects.

Certain embodiments can automatically create of one or more insectrearing containers for housing insect eggs, larvae, or pupae. Anautomated mass rearing system can roll out a thin film of pliablematerial (e.g., pliable plastic) that would form the bottom layer of acontainer. Some embodiments may create form for the container byinserting one or more indentations on at least one side of thecontainer. For example, one or more posts can be formed on the bottomlayer of the container to keep a top layer from sagging down onto thecontents in the container. In some embodiments, the posts may alsopermit an air gap to form between the solution in the container and thetop layer of the container as the container is filled (e.g., with water,food, larvae). A top film can then be sealed onto the bottom layer usinga heat sealer to form a bag or a pouch that can contain eggs, larvae, orpupae.

After the insect rearing container is created on a surface of theautomated mass rearing system, the container may be moved along anassembly line to be filled with one or more insects (e.g., insect eggs,insect larvae), water, food, etc. In some embodiments, the automatedmass rearing system can automatically dispense insect larvae (or eggs),food, solution (e.g., water), or other substances (e.g., chlorine orother types of material to help keep the environment sterile) into thecontainer using one or more dispensers. In some embodiments, eggs,larvae, food, solution, or any additives may be added to the bottomlayer of the container before or after the top layer is sealed over thebottom layer. Some embodiments may keep a small opening when the topfilm is being sealed against the bottom layer to allow any addition offood, solution, or other materials into the container during larvalrearing. Certain embodiments may seal the edges of the two layers andcreate a hole at the top layer of the container by cutting off an edgeof the layer or by poking a hole using a sharp tool.

Throughout the rearing process, the automated mass rearing system mayautomatically dispense food into the container on a periodic basis(e.g., preconfigured by a lab technician). In some embodiments, theautomated mass rearing system may automatically dispense food into thecontainer responsive to determining that there is a need to add food toany particular container, such as upon detecting that the food isrunning low in any particular container (e.g., using a sensor that candistinguish between food and larvae in the rearing container andcomparing the amount of food against a threshold amount), upon detectingthat the size of the insect larvae is smaller than usual, upon detectingthat the food is not being consumed by the insect larvae, etc. Certainembodiments may also determine the type of food, its content mixture,and its consistency (e.g., sludge, capsule, etc.) depending on thestatus of the insect larvae (e.g., its reaction to other types of foodor consistency) monitored by one or more sensors of the automated massrearing system.

Some embodiments facilitate the automatic transportation and storage ofthe one or more containers for housing insect eggs, larvae, or pupae.After the insect rearing container is filled, the container may be movedalong the assembly line to a portion of the surface where the containermay be automatically moved, by one or more robotic arms of the automaticmass rearing system, to a storage area that is part of or coupled to theautomated mass rearing system. The automated mass rearing system canhave one or more robotic arms that can transport individual containersor trays on which the containers may sit.

In some embodiments, the one or more robotic arms can have one or moregripper arms that have one or more vacuum cups or suction cups that canpick up the container by its top layer using a vacuum seal. In someembodiments, there may be four or six suction cups distributed acrossthe top layer when the suction cups are pressed against the top layer ofthe container. By having the container picked up from multiple pointsacross the top layer, the force applied across the top layer of thecontainer would be fairly even. This enables the sagging at any portionsat the bottom of the container to be fairly even such that there are notany particular portions sagging more than other portions. Movement ordisturbance of particles and eggs, larvae, or pupae inside the containermay also be reduced.

In some embodiments, prior to storing the one or more containers in astorage area, the container may be placed on a flat tray. In certainembodiments, the tray may have designated areas for one or morecontainers on each tray. One or more robotic arms of the storage andretrieval unit can automatically move the tray with the container placedon the tray into a storage shelf. The storage area may include manystorage shelves that will allow the trays to be stacked against oneanother in a space-efficient manner. As a robotic arm brings one trayinto the storage area, it may retrieve another tray and bring it out ofthe storage area. In some instances, the tray that is being brought outcan be placed on the drain station, where the contents of the disposablecontainer can be drained into a gutter that then collects the pupae inan emergence pipe. The disposable containers can then be disposed into awaste bin.

Some embodiments can automatically monitor the growth of the eggs,larvae, and pupae using one or more sensors and automatically adjustparameters surrounding the growth of the eggs, larvae, and pupae. Afterthe containers are placed into storage for a set period of time and atset intervals, the containers may be inspected. In some embodiments, thecontainers are inspected by the one or more sensors at the storage areaor at a surface of the automated mass rearing system to which thecontainers are transported (e.g., by one or more robotic arms). Incertain embodiments, the containers may be inspected at an inspectionstation of the automated mass rearing system. A container may betransported to the inspection station via one or more robotic arms. Theautomated mass rearing system may collect data on rearing containers viaone or more sensors at the inspection station.

In some embodiments, in addition to monitoring the growth of theinsects, the automated mass rearing system may monitor the storage areaand the rearing container environment. For example, the automated massrearing system may monitor the temperature and lighting of the storagearea and the rearing container environment via one or more sensors. Theautomated mass rearing system may include one or more temperature andlighting controls for adjusting those parameters in the storage area,such as the temperature or the lighting surrounding one or more rearingcontainers. Some embodiments may automatically adjust those parametersbased on preset goals and thresholds, or based on the development of theinsects. For example, some embodiments may determine that the larvae isdeveloping at a slow pace and thereby increase the temperature andlighting.

The automatic monitoring reduces the need for manual inspections andadjustments based on the inspection results, thereby drasticallyreducing any human labor that would be involved otherwise. Further, theautomation of these processes enables consistent processing on theinsects (e.g., mosquitos) that are being reared by this automatedrearing system. The parameters for the conditions of the containers canbe fine-tuned and adjusted in a precise manner. This would enable theresults to be highly efficient, accurate, and predictable.

Further, the automated food and water dispensers may automaticallydispense additional food or water into the containers throughout theautomated rearing process. In some embodiments, the amount of food,water, or other additives dispensed may depend on the development of thelarvae. Some embodiments may dispense more food than the standard amountupon detecting that the larvae or under-developing, for example. Thefrequency of the dispensing may also vary depending on the developmentof the larvae. For example, the automated mass rearing system mayautomatically increase the frequency at which the food is dispensed bythe food dispenser upon detecting that the larvae is developing at aslower pace and at a smaller size. The water environment in the rearingcontainers may also be changed automatically by the rearing system bydraining the water at a surface of a draining station (e.g., via a waterpump and a filter), refilling the water (e.g., via a water dispenser)and adding air (e.g., via an air pump), etc.

After the mosquitos in a container are ready for emergence (e.g.,mosquito larvae has evolved into pupae), the automated mass rearingsystem may transport the container to a drain station that is part ofthe rearing system. In some embodiments, the change in the state of theinsect may be detected by one or more sensors. In some embodiments, thedrain station may include a surface, a blade, and an emergence vessel(e.g., tube). The contents of the rearing container can be drained intoan emergence vessel. After the container is transported from the storagearea to the drain station via one or more robotic arms, the automatedrearing system may cut open the container using a blade and allow thecontents to be dispensed into the emergence vessel to move the pupaeinto a further container to mature into adult insects.

FIG. 1 illustrates a simplified block diagram of an automated massrearing system 100 in accordance with some embodiments. As shown in FIG.1, automated mass rearing system 100 can include machinery that caninclude multiple components, including a production unit 105, adispenser unit 110, a transportation unit 115, a storage unit 120, aninspection station 122, a monitoring unit 125, a drainage unit 130, acomputing device 135, and a sex sorting unit 140. The computing device135 is in communication with one or more of the various units orstations to control their operation to fill rearing containers withlarvae, food and other material, and to rear the insect larvae withinthe containers until they have matured into adult insects. As may beseen in FIG. 1, the computing device 135 is in communication with thedispenser unit 110, transportation unit 115, and monitoring unit 125 tocontrol their respective operation. However, in other examples, thecomputing device 135 may also be in communication with other ordifferent units, including the drainage unit 130 and sex sorting unit140. Further, in some examples, there may be more or fewer components toautomated mass rearing system 100 than those shown in FIG. 1.

To provide for the automated mass rearing of the larvae, the system 100receives newly-created disposable rearing containers, fills them withlarvae, food, and water (and other materials, in some examples),transports them to a storage facility, where the system 100 monitors thedevelopment of the larvae in the rearing containers, adding food, water,and air as needed based on the detected development of the larvae, andultimately releases the larvae from the rearing containers into anenvironment for adult mosquitoes.

As a part of the mass-rearing process, the system 100 may first createthe disposable rearing containers. In some embodiments, production unit105 can create one or more disposable rearing containers (also referredto as rearing bags or rearing pouches throughout this disclosure) forhousing insect eggs, larvae, or pupae. In various embodiments,production unit 105 can include a mechanical device such as a disposablecontainer fabrication machine or a multi-vac machine that can fabricatedisposable rearing containers. In certain embodiments, the mechanicaldevice can be equipped with one or more rolls of heat moldable material(e.g., plastic). The one or more rolls of heat moldable material can beunrolled and laid out to form the rearing container. Some embodimentsmay lay out two layers (or two cut sheets of the heat moldable material)to form top and bottom layers of the rearing container. Certainembodiments may lay out a single layer to form the entire container.Different embodiments may form the container using the rolls of materialdifferently. Further, some embodiments may include a heater that heatsthe edges of a layer such as the bottom layer to create a curvature atthe edges. The curvature at the edges enable the bottom layer to containsubstances such as water.

The production unit 105 can be further equipped to form one or moreprotrusions (also referred to as posts) on one or more layers of theheat moldable material. The production unit 105 can have a heater thatheats the heat moldable material as it passes the heater in an assemblyline. The production unit 105 may also have a stamping device or an airblowing device that causes the shape of the protrusion to form wheneither stamped against the heated material or when the air is blownagainst the heater material, respectively. Some embodiments may furtherinclude a cooling device that allows the shape of the protrusion tofirm. The production unit 105 can be a part of and built into largermachinery that automates the entire process for mass larvae rearing insome embodiments.

In certain embodiments, the disposable rearing container can be made ofa disposable, pliable material, such as thermoplastic. Thermoplastic isa plastic material that can be moldable when heated above a certaintemperature and solidifies when cooled. By using a disposable materialthat is low cost and thereby cost-effective to use only once for anentire rearing lifecycle, automated mass rearing system 100 would notrequire any cleaning of reusable tubes or other rearing containers. Asthe disposable container are single-use containers and not reused foranother rearing lifecycle, contamination may be reduced. Each time therearing containers are dispensed for a new production, the rearingcontainers are clean. Conventional methods of using reusable bins ortrays requires cleaning after each production cycle and is laborintensive in that manner. However, certain embodiments can use reusablerearing tubes or other types of containers if desired.

In some embodiments, the rearing container can be completely closed,completely open, or partially open. Certain embodiments include asealing machine (e.g., a heat sealer) that seals a top layer of themoldable material to the bottom layer of the material to form acontainer. In some embodiments, the sealing machine may have one or moreheaters that heats the edges of the sheets to cause the edges to fusetogether. In certain embodiments, the container can be nearly sealed butwith a small hole in the top film that can be gas permeable. In someembodiments, the small hole permits an exchange of oxygen. Certainembodiments may create larger openings to permit larger air exchange.Keeping the pouches nearly sealed also keeps the smells emitted by thelarvae contained.

After the rearing container has been created, the system 100 moves thecontainer to a dispensing unit 110, which fills the container withinsect larvae and additional material used to rear the larvae. Forexample, the system 100 may move the rearing container along a conveyoror using a robotic arm. Once the rearing container has arrived at thedispensing unit 110, the dispensing unit 110 dispenses material into therearing container.

In some embodiments, dispensing unit 110 may include one or morecontainers with quantities of various materials, such as larvae,foodstuffs, water, etc. Each of these containers may have a dispensingtube running from the container into a dispensing area of the dispensingunit 110. In addition, the dispensing unit 110 is in communication witha computing device 135, such as the example computing device 500 shownin FIG. 5, which controls the amount of each material dispensed intoeach rearing container. For example, the computing device 135 may beprogrammed with pre-defined quantities, e.g., weights or volumes, oflarvae, food, water, etc. Upon receiving a signal from the dispensingunit 110 that a new rearing container has arrived, the computing device135 may activate one or more valves in a pre-defined sequence (orsimultaneously) to dispense material into the rearing container.

For example, the dispensing unit 110 may employ the tubes to dispensewater, insect eggs or larvae, food, and any other additive desired bythe lab specialist into the rearing container. In various embodiments,dispenser unit 110 can further include one or more vats or containers offood slurry or liquids (e.g., water or other type of solution) or otheradditives, and one or more valves that can be opened to dispense food,liquids, or other additives, or shut to stop the dispensing. The one ormore tubes can dispense the food, liquids, or other additives from thefood container, liquid container, or other additives container into anopening of a rearing container. The valves in this example areelectromechanical, i.e., they can be opened or closed by electricalsignals or commands. The rate at which the water, food, and any otheradditives are dispensed through the tubes may be specified and adjustede.g., by the valves.

Further, dispenser unit 110 may also include a grinder or a mixer thatcan grind up different food ingredients and mix the differentingredients into the food based on a configuration specified by anadministrator of the automated mass rearing system. The parameters forthe food slurry or the liquid solution can be predefined in thecomputing device 135 and the grinder or the mixer may be activated aftera new rearing container has arrived at the dispensing unit.

In some embodiments, dispenser unit 110 may dispense food into therearing container one or more times during a rearing process of themosquitos, after the initial stage during which the rearing container iscreated and the eggs or larvae, water, and food are added. For example,the rearing process may take an extended period of time during which thelarvae may consume most or all of the food or air within the rearingcontainer, or fresh water may be needed periodically through the rearingprocess. Thus, the system 100 may periodically return a rearingcontainer to the dispensing unit 110 based on a pre-defined schedule, orbased on a detected low level of food or water, or poor air or waterquality. The process for returning a rearing container to the dispensingunit is described in more detail below. However, after receiving such arearing container, the dispensing unit may again dispense the neededmaterial into the rearing container. As discussed above, the computingdevice 135 may be programmed with one or more parameters related to aninitial mix of materials to be dispensed into a new rearing container.For re-filling the rearing containers, the computing device 135 maydetermine a quantity of food, water, air, etc. based on sensor signalsobtained from a monitoring unit 125 discussed below. Alternatively, thecomputing device 135 may instead use a preset quantity to refill therearing container with the needed material.

In certain embodiments, dispenser unit 110 may also include an eggdispenser or a larvae dispenser that can dispense eggs or larvae.Dispenser unit 110 can include an egg container that can include one ormore eggs or a larvae container that can include one or more larvae.Dispenser unit 110 can further include a tube or a vessel that candispense the eggs or the larvae from the egg container or the larvaecontainer into an opening of a rearing container. One or more valves cancontrol the rate at which the eggs or larvae are dispensed and when theyare dispensed.

In some embodiments, dispenser unit 110 may have other means ofdispensing the insect eggs or larvae. For example, dispenser unit 110may have an insect eggs container or insect larvae container and a scalethat can weigh and measure an amount of eggs or larvae to be transportedthrough a tube to the container. The insect eggs or larvae may beautomatically counted (e.g., based on total weight) and dispensed intoeach disposable container when the container (or at least the bottomlayer of the container) has been created.

The system 100 further includes a transportation unit 115 that isemployed by the system 100 to transport rearing containers betweenvarious components of the system. The transportation unit 115, as willbe described in more detail below, may include one or more articulatingrobotic arms, one or more conveyor belts, etc., to transport individualrearing containers, or one or more trays holding one or more rearingcontainers. The transportation unit 115 may transport filled rearingcontainers from the dispenser unit 110 to a storage unit 120, or from astorage unit 120 to a drainage unit 130, an inspection station 122, orback to the dispensing unit 110. In some embodiments, one or morearticulated arms can be connected to a base and have one or more forks(also known as blades or tines) on the other end of the arm(s). Theblade can be used to lift objects such as a tray or even a container. Insome embodiments, the robotic arm can move across the different aislesof the storage area. In certain embodiments, the base of the robotic armcan be connected to another machine or movable platform that cantransport the base across the different isles of the storage area. Thebase or the movable device to which the base is connected can beconnected to the automated insect rearing system.

In certain embodiments, transportation unit 115 can transport therearing containers that contain insect eggs or larvae onto a storagerack. In some embodiments, transportation unit 115 can include one ormore robotic arms that can move in one or more degrees of freedom(“DOF”). In certain embodiments, transportation unit 115 can include amulti-DOF robotic arm (e.g., articulated-arm robots). In someembodiments, one or more articulated arms can be connected to a base andhave one or more suction cups on the other end of the arm(s). The basecan be connected to the automated insect rearing system. Certainembodiments may have arms that are able to transport objects using othermeans, such as magnets, electromagnets, adhesives, etc. In someembodiments, the rearing containers that are being transported alsoincludes water and food for the insects. Transportation unit 115 can beconfigured to transport the rearing container swiftly and accurately tominimize the disturbance of the contents in the rearing container.

In some embodiments, based on commands received from the computingdevice 135, a robotic arm of transportation unit 115 can pick up arearing container by suctioning the top of the container using one ormore suction cups. Transportation unit 115 can minimize disturbance tothe water by moving the containers in a controlled fashion. In someembodiments, the robotic arm may accelerate and decelerate slowly sothat there are minimal ripples created by the liquid content. The morethe larvae are disturbed, the smaller the mosquitos may turn out and themore likely they will not be viable. By automating the transportation ofthe rearing containers, the movement of the bag and the disturbance tothe larvae are minimized, thereby allowing a larger percentage of thelarvae to survive and a smaller percentage to be stunted in itsdevelopment.

After picking up the rearing container, the robotic arm oftransportation unit 115 may then move the container into a carrier tray.In certain embodiments, the carrier tray can hold more than one rearingcontainer. In some embodiments, the robotic arm of transportation unit115 can also serve to transport the rearing container(s) into a storagearea.

In some embodiments, transportation unit 115 can then transport thecarrier trays to a storage unit 120. In this example, the storage unit120 has multiple storage racks having one or more storage shelves. Eachstorage rack can then each store one or more carrier trays in each ofits storage shelves.

In some examples, the storage unit 120 may include one or moreenvironmental controls to adjust the storage environment for the rearingcontainers. For example, the storage racks of the storage unit 120 mayeach be enclosed with vents to receive warm or cool air from a heatingor air conditioning system. In some examples, the environment of eachstorage rack may be individually adjusted by opening or closing one ormore vents. However, in some examples, the various storage racks may bestored in a common area, e.g., a room, with a common environment.Temperature controls, such as a thermostat, may be used by the computingdevice 135 to adjust a heating or cooling system based on a sensedtemperature within an individual storage rack or within the storage unititself. For example, the computing device may receive sensor signalsfrom the monitoring unit 125, detect an environmental conditionassociated with the rearing container, and in response to determiningthe environmental condition exceeds a predetermined setting, modify anenvironmental control based on the environmental condition and thepredetermined setting, such as to change a temperature, humidity, orlighting condition within the storage unit 120.

In addition to temperature controls, the storage unit may also includeother types of controls, such as lighting controls or humidity controls.For example, lighting within an individual storage rack, or within thestorage unit 120 itself, may be adjusted by turning lights on or off, orby adjusting a level of dimming on one or more lights. Similarly, ahumidity level within the storage unit (or individual storage racks) maybe adjusted by the computing device 135 based on preset desired humiditylevels and sensed humidity levels received from the monitoring unit 125.

Once the rearing containers have been moved into the storage unit 120,they are monitored by one or more sensors from the monitoring unit 125.For example, the monitoring unit 125 may employ temperature sensors,humidity sensors, light sensors, cameras, pressure sensors or scales,etc. to monitor the individual rearing containers or the environment ofthe storage unit 120 itself. For example, in certain embodiments,monitoring unit 125 can monitor the environment in which the rearingcontainers are located and the contents of the rearing containers. Insome embodiments, monitoring unit 125 may be in communication with thecomputing device 135 and provide information from one or more sensors tothe computing device 135. The computing device 135 may then adjust oneor more settings within the storage unit, or may command thetransportation unit 115 to retrieve one or more rearing containers forfurther action. For example, the computing device 135 can receive sensorinformation, determine an amount of food in the rearing container basedon the sensor information, determine, based on the amount of food and apredetermined threshold amount of food, whether to transport the rearingcontainer from the storage unit 120 to the dispensing unit 110 todispense more food, water, air, etc. into the rearing container, andthen return the rearing container to the storage unit 120.

In some examples, the mass rearing system 100 may include a manualinspection station 122 to allow one or more users to visually inspectone or more rearing containers. In this example, a user may select oneor more rearing containers using the computing device 135. For example,the user may review sensor information about rearing containers withinthe storage unit 120 and select one or more for manual inspection. Afterthe user has selected the desired rearing containers, the computingdevice 135 transmits one or more signals to the transportation unit 115,which retrieves the selected rearing containers from the storage unit120 and transports them to the inspection station 122. In this example,the inspection station is made up of one or more tables or other flatsurfaces. The user may then inspect the rearing containers and, ifneeded, specify particular actions to be taken using the computingdevice 135. For example, the user may simply return one or more of therearing containers to the storage unit 120, or she may indicate thatadditional food or water (or another material) is to be added to therearing container, or that the rearing container should be opened anddrained to obtain matured insects. In response to such commands, thecomputing device 135 may then transmit one or more signals to thetransportation unit 115 to transport the rearing containers to theappropriate stations for further action.

In some embodiments, the computing device 135 can monitor thedevelopment of the mosquito larvae in the rearing container usinginformation detected from one or more sensors (e.g., a camera). Thecomputing device 135 can determine how much food there is remaining inthe rearing container based on images captured by an imaging sensor.Based on the amount of remaining feed in the rearing container,dispenser unit 110 may automatically dispense more or less food.

In certain embodiments, the sensor may be an infrared sensor (or otherspectral imaging sensor) that can be used to monitor the amount ofremaining food in the bag. The infrared sensing can also helpdistinguish different content within the rearing container, such as foodfrom larvae, as some of the different objects within the rearingcontainer may not be easily distinguished from each other just via thenaked eye.

In some embodiments, the sensor(s) can help the computing device 135monitor the health of the larvae. The computing device 135 can receivesensor signals from one or more sensors and calculate, based on datareceived from the one or more sensors, the number of live larvae, thesize of the larvae, in addition to determining how much food isremaining in a container (also referred to as a tray) at any particularmoment. Some embodiments may also measure the quality of the water,which may be another factor taken into account in determining the healthof the larvae.

In some embodiments, the computing device 135 may maintain variousparameters and other information related to the mass rearing system 100or the types of insects being reared within the system. For example, thecomputing device 135 can store media items such as audio files, videofiles, or image files; information about the different types of insector mosquito species; parameters set for each of the rearing containers,monitored results from various sensors for each of the rearingcontainers, conditions configured for each of the rearing containers(e.g., adjusting a parameter of the rearing container when certaincriteria are met).

In certain embodiments, the computing device 135 can store processparameters of one or more rearing containers. Examples of processparameters can include the number of live larvae at certain stages ofdevelopment, the size of the larvae, the amount of food being fed andthe intervals at which the larvae are being fed, the frequency at whichthe larvae are being fed, the temperature under which the larvae arebeing placed, the amount of water and the water depth in which thelarvae are being placed, rules specifying to trigger an alert or todisplay on a user interface responsive to certain conditions of therearing container or larvae exceeding a threshold, etc. In someembodiments, the rearing containers may be tagged to enable theautomated rearing system to track the different rearing containers.

In some examples, the computing device 135 can process data (e.g.,sensor signals from one or more sensors) received from one or morestations within the mass rearing system 100 and perform calculationsbased on the data and perform one or more actions responsive to thecalculation. For example the computing device 135 can calculate anamount of food to dispense to a rearing container when replenishing thefood supply for the larvae in the rearing container and cause dispenserunit 110 to dispense the calculated amount. Computing device 135 canalso cause information (e.g., an alert) to be displayed on a userinterface based on the data.

In some embodiments, the computing device 135 may display a userinterface and can include one or more input and output devices. A usercan operate input devices to invoke the functionality of system 100 andcan view, hear, or otherwise experience output from system 100 viaoutput devices of user interface 140. In some embodiments, anadministrator of the automated rearing system 100 or a lab techniciancan input specific configurations or adjustments for the rearing of theinsect (e.g., amount of food, water, air dispensed into a container,adjustments that are to be made in response to data obtained through oneor more sensors, etc.) via the user interface.

Some embodiments enable the administrator to customize each rearingcontainer to contain different amounts of content and to be placed undera set of conditions (e.g., specified by one or more process parameters).In certain embodiments, a user interface may also display informationpertaining to any particular rearing container. Examples of informationthat may be displayed via the user interface include data obtainedthrough a sensor, one or more process parameters of a rearing container,changes in a rearing container, any alerts upon detecting anddetermining that one or more parameters have exceeded a predeterminedthreshold, etc. Further, the computing device 135 may enable a user tocontrol the robotic arms, e.g., using a mouse to select one or morerearing containers and a destination for the rearing containers, or bymanually controlling one or more robotic arms.

In some embodiments, a rearing container may be drained of waste, water,air, or other material during the course of rearing insect larvae. Forexample, the computing device 135 may determine a low food condition ora poor water quality condition of the rearing container via manydifferent ways, such as based on scheduling software or sensor signalsreceived from the monitoring unit 125. The computing device 135 may thencommand the transportation unit 115 to retrieve the rearing containerfrom the storage unit 120 and transport it to the drainage unit 130. Thedrainage unit 130 can drain the contents of the rearing container. Forexample, the contents may be drained and the larvae collected using afilter. The larvae may then be transported to a new rearing container.In some examples, however, the drainage unit may unseal a portion of therearing container and selectively drain water or other material from therearing container, while leaving the larvae in place within the rearingcontainer. In some instances, the contents of the rearing container canbe drained on the rack directly, instead of having to move the rearingcontainer to the drainage unit 130. A small incision may be made on therearing container to allow the contents to be drained from the rearingcontainer.

If the computing device 135 determines that the larvae are maturing intoadult insects, the computing device 135 may command the drainage unit todrain the larvae into an emergence pipe. In one such example, thedrainage unit 130 can include a surface plate, a blade, a gutter, afunnel, and an emergence pipe. The surface plate may be where the bagmay be placed after storage unit 120 retrieves the tray from the storagerack and transportation unit 115 moves the bag from the tray. The bladethen can then cut the bag open while it is set on an angle on thesurface plate. The contents of the bag may be poured into the gutter.The funnel may then help direct all the contents including the pupaeinto the emergence pipe. The pupae may then emerge into adults in theemergence pipe.

Further, in some embodiments, system 100 can include an automated sexsorting unit 140 that includes an imaging device and an ultrasound forsorting adult insects that have matured from the larvae within therearing container, or even before the larvae have matured into adults.For example, pupae can be sorted by various features that maydistinguish male from female such as size, weight, etc. Some embodimentscan sort the male from the female in one or more stages. Certainembodiments may sort the sex using a two stage approach. Before thepupae emerge into adults, some embodiments may use an imaging device todetermine the size of the pupae in the emergence pipe and sort the pupaebased on the sizes. Some embodiments may further sort the sex after thepupae emerge into adults to increase the accuracy of the identifiedgender of the insects. In some embodiments, ultrasound (e.g., Dopplerultrasound) can be used to detect a wingbeat frequency of the adultinsect. By determining the wingbeat frequency of the adults, sex sortingunit 140 can identify the male insects from the female insects. Someembodiments may further distinguish the various species of the insectsfrom each other based on features and properties of each species.

In some embodiments, a Doppler system for determining a characteristicof an insect can comprise a control unit that can include a sensor. Thesensor can transmit and receive signals. The signals may be sound, light(e.g. laser), or radar signals. The signals may be ultrasonic signals.The sensor can include a separate transmitter and a receiver foremitting and receiving the signals. In some examples a combinedtransmitter and receiver (i.e., a transceiver) may be used. Thetransceiver can be a positioned near an opening to a vessel orcontainer, such as a tube, within the container, or in some examplesoutside the container with a view into the container. An insect may flythrough the container and past the transceiver. The transceiver can emita signal, for example a sound wave, having a particular frequency. Thesignal emitted by the transceiver can reflect off the moving wings ofthe insect and off the insect's body as it flies through the containerand past the transceiver. The transceiver can receive the signalreflected off the wings and body of the insect.

The reflected signal may have a frequency that is different from thefrequency of the signal emitted by the transceiver. The differencebetween the signals, for example the change in frequency of the signalcan be used to determine the speed of the insect. The change in thefrequency of the signal can also be used to determine the wing beatfrequency of the insect. The wing beat frequency is the number ofcomplete wing beats per second, in other words the number of completecycles of wing movement per second. One example of a complete cycle ofan insect's wing movement can be the wings moving from a highest point,downward to a lowest point, then upward back to the highest point.

FIG. 2 illustrates a simplified automated process 200 of mass rearinginsect larvae performed by an automated mass rearing system inaccordance with some embodiments. In some instances, one cycle of thisrearing process can take about five days to a week for some insects suchas mosquitos.

Some embodiments can have one or more spools of plastic or other pliablematerial that can be used to form a vessel such as a bag, tray, or tubefor harvesting the insect larvae. Some embodiments may create the one ormore disposable rearing containers by rolling out a layer of thedisposable material from a roll of the material onto a flat surface. Incertain embodiments, the film is made of a pliable plastic material. Indifferent embodiments, different material can be used to create therearing containers.

As shown at 205, a layer of plastic material can be laid out from thespool of plastic. In an example, there can be two rolls of plasticmaterial where a layer or thin film from the bottom roll can be broughtup and heated from underneath the platform to form a shape as the bottomhalf of the bag.

At 210, one or more posts can be automatically formed into the bottomlayer for the tray. In certain embodiments, one or more posts orprotrusions can be formed throughout the bottom layer for support.Having the posts on the bottom layer may prevent the top layer fromcollapsing onto the water (or solution) injected into the pouch when thetop layer is laid against the bottom layer for sealing. In addition toproviding support, the one or more posts can keep the top upright,thereby maintaining a particular orientation for the pouch.

Certain embodiments may automatically inject the insect larvae and water(and, in some examples, food or other additives) into the bottom layerbefore sealing the pouch with the top layer. As shown at 215, larvae andwater are dispensed into the bottom layer of the container. Certainembodiments may add chlorine or other types of additives to keep thecontents sterile.

At 220, a pouch may be formed by applying a top layer from the same roll(or a different roll) onto the bottom layer. An enclosed or nearlyenclosed pouch can be formed when the two films are placed against oneanother and sealed at the edges or more connecting points throughout thepouch, such as that shown at 225. In certain embodiments, the vessel maybe open, sealed, or have a removable lid. In some embodiments, the bagmay not be completely closed but partially or nearly sealed, whichcreate a good barrier to the environment. The nearly sealed environmentfor larval rearing can keep out mold and bacterial and maintainconsistency from bag to bag. The chances of cross contamination orspreading a potential infection from one bag to another would beminimal. Further, an air space can be kept in the bag to allow mosquitolarvae to breath from the air space. By creating an air pocket, thelarvae can have a higher chance at staying viable.

A transportation unit can handle transfers from a production unit to astorage and retrieval unit. The storage and retrieval unit can take allthe bags and store them in individual storage areas. The storage areascan be temperature controlled to enable the insect larvae to growquickly. The storage and retrieval unit may also handle additionalfeeding cycles throughout the rearing process.

The automation enables gentle movement when transporting the trays andminimizes collisions between objects in the bag and against the surfacesof the bag. This increases the chances of mosquito survival greatly asopposed to a human manually carrying and transporting trays. As shown at230, a robotic arm can use suction against the top surface of the pouchto handle and transport the pouch. In this example, there are 6 suctionsdistributed across the width and length of the pouch so that there wouldbe minimal sagging of any portions of the bag when the bag is lifted.The process has been designed to minimize disturbance to the contents ofthe bag.

At 235, the robotic arm can place the bag onto a tray that can holdmultiple bags. At 240, another robotic arm may lift the tray andtransport the tray to a storage rack in a storage area. The storage areamay include a large number of storage shelves that are lined up in manyrows. In certain embodiments, the robotic arm may travel along a trackin the storage area to arrive at a particular set of shelves beforearticulating to place the tray on a particular shelf. In someembodiments, the racks may be stacked on top of each other so that thespace may be used effectively.

In some embodiments, the storage and retrieval system enables therearing larvae to have a controlled environment. For example, thetemperature may be kept at very even levels throughout the wholeincubation period so that the entire process is carefully controlled. Bykeeping the process controlled and consistent, the larvae may grow at asimilar rate and thereby ensure consistency throughout.

When the insect larvae are ready to emerge (e.g., turn from pupae toadult mosquitos), the transportation unit can transport the bag to adrain station. In some embodiments, the drain station may not be a partof the automated rearing system in a manufacturing location and can beoutside the factory. In certain embodiments, the transportation unitplaces the bag on the drain station, slits the bag, and drains the pupaeinto a pipe where the pupae may emerge into adult insects.

In some embodiments, the automated rearing system also includes a sexseparation unit where the female mosquitos may be sorted from the malemosquitos. After the mosquitos are sorted, a release container processthen releases the sorted males into the wild. This automated larvaerearing system requires very little human input and saves a tremendousamount of labor compared to other insect rearing systems.

Some embodiments enable the configuration and implementation of numerousdifferent rearing programs simultaneously. The automated larvae rearingsystem may keep track of each individual program, its parameters andconditions, and its outcome. By having the ability to keep track ofthese different programs, many parameters may be optimized, includingcycle time, the growth, density, etc. by changing different variablessuch as the diet, the temperature, etc. This automated system allows ascientist to alter just one variable at a time while keeping all theother parameters controlled. To have a scientist carry out these variousoptimization procedures and explore each parameter would be extremelylabor intensive. The automated system may also have altered feedingcycles for different containers such that some may have a quickerfeeding cycle while others may have a slower feeding cycle. Without thisautomated system, it would be difficult to keep track of the differentconditions under which each container out of thousands of containers isexposed.

FIG. 3 depicts a flow chart 300 for mass rearing insect larvae using anautomated mass rearing system in accordance with certain embodiments.Flow chart 300 can be performed by one or more components of automatedrearing system 100. These components implementing flow chart 300 mayreside on an electronic device. In some embodiments, a portion of flowchart 300 may be executed by one or more processors of the electronicdevice.

At block 305, a disposable rearing container for housing insect larvaecan be created by an automated insect larvae rearing system. Asdescribed, the automated insect rearing system can create a disposablerearing container or pouch by forming one or more posts on a flexiblefilm sheet. The one or more posts cause the flexible film sheet toprotrude at certain portions of the sheet. The protrusions cause the topfilm to be unable to collapse fully onto the bottom film when the edgesof the films are being sealed together.

At block 310, food for the insect larvae can be automatically dispensedinto the disposable rearing container. In some embodiments, the amountof larvae, food, and water to be automatically dispensed into each pouchis pre-configured by a lab technician. Some embodiments dispense foodinto the container periodically. In certain embodiments, additional foodand water may be dispensed depending on the condition of the larvae. Ifthe larvae appear to be under-developing, some embodiments may dispenseadditional food to the pouch containing the under nourished larvae.

At block 315, the disposable rearing container can be transported to astorage area by one or more arms of the automated insect larvae rearingsystem. In some embodiments, an arm of the automated rearing system mayplace each pouch onto a tray. The automated rearing system may usesuction force to hold onto each pouch from its top surface. There may bemany portions of the top surface that are being held by the arm toensure that the pouch is picked up with minimal distortion to its flimsyshape. After each tray is filled, another transport arm may lift up thetray and place the tray into a rack on a shelf of racks. Someembodiments barcode or tag each container or tray so that the individualcontainers or trays can be tracked in a database.

At block 320, the development of insect larvae in the disposable rearingcontainer can be monitored using one or more sensors. In someembodiments, sensors including a vision system can be used to assure andmaintain process parameters. Additional sensors may include atemperature sensor, water depth sensor, turbidity measuring sensor, etc.The water depth sensor provides information on whether there is theright amount of water in each container. The turbidity measuring sensorcan provide information in how clear the water is. By monitoring eachcontainer using the various sensors, the automated rearing system canprovide the effects of the process in real time.

Some embodiments may detect any changes that might be causing death inthe container and permit additional actions to be scheduled in realtime. For example, if there is a container that is experiencingincreasing deaths, abnormalities in the development (e.g., slowerdevelopment where the larvae are undersized or where the sizes are beingdeveloped differently in a same container), or deformities, then theautomated rearing system may observe that and provide feedback to anadministrator in real time.

In some embodiments, there may be periodic dispensing of food into thedisposable rearing container. Some embodiments monitor the larvae anddispense food as needed. In some embodiments, during feedings, theautomated arm may pull each tray out and dispense the food into theopening of each container and push the tray back in. Reaching everycontainer is particularly difficult and inefficient (i.e., timeconsuming) to be done by a person since the trays may be placed in avery high area of a storage area. Further, instead of using a disposableplastic pouch for rearing larvae, some embodiments may use reusablepipes or tubes to house the larvae.

FIG. 4 depicts another flow chart 400 for mass rearing mosquito larvaeusing an automated mass rearing system in accordance with certainembodiments. The automated mosquito larvae rearing system can include aproduction unit (also referred to as a multi-vac unit) that producesbags, fills the bags with mosquito larvae, food, and water.

In the creation of the containers, the production unit dispenses one ormore plastic sheets to create an enclosure. The one or more plasticsheets may be sealed, or partially sealed. At block 405, the automatedmass rearing system can lay out a pliable film for a bottom layer of adisposable rearing bag. At block 410, the automated mass rearing systemcan create posts on the pliable film. In some embodiments, the bottomlayer can form one or more protrusions so that the protrusions may serveas a support structure and prevent the top of the bag from collapsingonto the water (or solution) injected (or to be injected) into the bag.In some embodiments, the protrusions may be formed by heating theplastic to make it even more flexible and blowing air at certainportions of the lower layer to get indentation(s). In certainembodiments, heat can be applied to keep the pouch sterile.

At block 415, the automated mass rearing system can deposit mosquitolarvae, food, and water into the bag. In some embodiments, the mosquitolarvae, food, or water are not dispensed into the bag until the toplayer has been placed over the bottom layer to form a pouch, eitherpartially sealed, fully sealed, or open. Some embodiments may then addwater, food, and the larvae or eggs into the lower pouch prior to itbeing sealed. In some embodiments, a capsule or a nugget of timereleased food can be used for food dispensing. In certain embodiments,food may be dispensed periodically (e.g., semi-daily basis).

In this example, at block 420, the automated mass rearing system canenclose and seal the disposable rearing bag. In some embodiments, thedisposable rearing bag need not be fully enclosed, but can be partiallyopen.

At block 425, the automated mass rearing system may place one or morebags on a tray. At block 430, the automated mass rearing system canstore one or more trays on a storage rack. In some embodiments, atransportation unit that is part of the system can transport containerin which the mosquito larvae are kept until they evolve into pupae. Thetransportation unit can include one or more suction cups that can pickup the container from its top surface.

At 435, the automated mass rearing system can monitor the larvae via oneor more sensors. In some embodiments, the one or more sensors (e.g.,camera) can be placed in different zones of the storage area. The fillstation can have ultrasonic sensors to determine how much water has beenput into the container or how deep the water is in the container. Therobotic arms may each have one or more cameras on them to look at thecontainers. The vision sensor can enable a lab technician to determinewhether there are enough larvae, pupae, whether the water is skanky,etc.

Process parameters can be detected by one or more sensors including avision sensor, temperature sensor, water depth sensor, turbiditymeasuring sensor, etc. The water depth sensor provides information onwhether there is the right amount of water in each container. Theturbidity measuring sensor can provide information in how clear thewater is. The one or more processors can monitor and maintain processparameters based on data or sensor signals obtained from the one or moresensors. By monitoring each container using the various sensors, theautomated rearing system can provide the effects of the process in realtime.

At 440, the automated mass rearing system can adjust one or moreparameters based on the monitored results. Some embodiments may detectany changes that might be causing death in the container and permitadditional actions to be scheduled in real time. For example, if thereis a container that is observing increasing deaths, abnormalities in thedevelopment (e.g., slower development where the larvae are undersized orwhere the sizes are being developed differently in a same container), ordeformities, then the system may observe that and provide feedback tothe automated system (or an administrator) in real time.

The mosquitos with developmental issues or deformities may have a hardertime mating with other mosquitos in the wild and staying alive. Otherfactors that might also affect the fitness of the emerging mosquito arethe wingbeat frequency or flight ability. The automated rearing systemmay record the wingbeat frequency as the mosquitos are emerging andidentify those mosquitos that have a wingbeat frequency closer to thefemale wingbeat frequency.

At block 445, the automated mass rearing system can adjust food for thelarvae. Some embodiments may program a number of recipes into themonitoring and feeding unit. In certain embodiments, the feeding can beperformed on a periodic basis. In some embodiments, the feeding can bedispensed based on one or more criteria being satisfied. In certainembodiments, a monitoring and feeding unit can monitor the larvae'sdevelopment in real time and control the feeding dynamically based onthe feedback from the monitored development.

In certain embodiments, the automated mass rearing system may grind upfood and add different ingredients based on the configuration specifiedby an administrator of the unit. Having the automated mass rearingsystem keep track of the mixture of food and liquids, and the processingof foods that are given to each container (e.g., ground, in chunks, in aslurry, in a smudge, in a pill, compressed) enables one to experiment asto the ideal feeding ingredient and schedule to maximize the output ofhigh quality mosquitos. Additional parameters such as the temperature ofthe water, the amount of water in each container, the number of larvaein each container can also be applied to different containers tofacilitate experimentation on the ideal output.

At 435, after adjusting one or more parameters and an amount of food forthe larvae, the automated mass rearing system may continue to monitorthe larvae via one or more sensors. In some embodiments, the automatedmass rearing system may inspect the bags to determine whether the larvaehave pupated. In some instances, further inspections on the bags may bedone to ensure that the process is being maintained. When the larvaeevolve into pupae, the containers are ready to be drained as the pupaeget ready for emergence. During the emergence stage, some embodimentsmay raise the water level in the tube to push the mosquitos out of thetubes. Cleanup for the larvae rearing stage can be minimized by the useof disposable vessels or containers.

At block 450, the automated mass rearing system can transfer one or moretrays to the drain station. After the pupation period (e.g., a week),the bags are brought out from the storage to the drain station. At block455, the automated mass rearing system can drain one or more bags intoan emergence pipe. The containers may be set on an angle of a plate andcut open by a blade. Once the containers are cut open, a funnel can beused to direct all the content into a vessel (e.g., a tube, a pipe) sothat the pupae within the containers can be drained into the vessel. Thepupae may then emerge into adults in the vessel.

Using bags as the container enables the drainage to be performed moreefficiently and effectively. Instead of conventional methods of pouringone or more trays to dump out the contents, drainage using bags enablethe process to be a lot more controlled. The flow rate can be bettercontrolled and thereby enabling more pupae to survive.

Once the pupae are poured out of the containers, they can beautomatically sorted by size, weight, or other distinguishing featuresbetween male and female pupae using the automated rearing system. Incertain embodiments, the sorting may not be performed by the sameautomated rearing system but by a separate automated device coupled tothe automated rearing system. In some embodiments, the females aresorted from the males by size as the females tend to be larger in size.

In some embodiments, an automatic sex sorting unit may sort the pupaebefore they emerge into adults. In certain embodiments, the sex sortingunit may sort the adult mosquitos. In certain embodiments, the sexsorting unit can sort the gender of the mosquitos by imaging techniquesor vision systems, by wingbeat frequency, etc. Some embodiments may havean ultrasonic Doppler sensing device (e.g., an ultrasound) that canobserve the wingbeat frequency. In certain embodiments, the system maysex sort the mosquitos as they fly up from the tube. As the mosquitoemerges, a vision system or a wingbeat frequency measuring system can beused to sort the gender. In some embodiments, these systems may also beused to distinguish between the different species (e.g., the differentthousands of mosquito species). Further, some embodiments may also usemachine learning based on computer vision systems.

By having a multi-tier sex sorting system where the first tier wouldsort the gender at the pupae stage and the second tier would sort thegender at the full grown flying adult stage, the accuracy would begreatly increased (e.g., to an error rate at 1 in 1 million).

Certain embodiments may alter the genetics or infect these sorted malemosquitos with different bacteria or viruses using the automated systemto produce large quantities of consistent and sterile male mosquitoswith high fitness and mating success. In some embodiments, malesproduced from the automated larvae rearing system may be infected with asymbiotic bacteria such as Wolbachia. By mating males with the Wolbachiastrain with wild females that have a different strain of Wolbachia or noWolbachia at all, the females will produce eggs that are not viable.Some embodiments may utilize RNA interference to produce sterile males.

Referring now to FIG. 5, FIG. 5 shows an example computing device 500suitable for acceleration of online certificate status checking with anInternet hinting service. The example computing device 500 may besuitable for use as any of the computing devices of FIGS. 1 and 2. Thecomputing device 500 includes a processor 510, a memory 520, a networkinterface 530, a display 540, and one or more user input device 550.Each of these components is in communication with the other componentsvia one or more communications buses 560. Suitable network interfaces330 may employ wired or wireless network interfaces, such as wiredEthernet, 10-, 100-, 1000-base T, or 10 GigE; FireWire 1394, USB, fiberoptic, wireless Ethernet, including 802.11 a, g, b, n, or ac standards.In one example, the network interface 330 can communicate using RadioFrequency (RF), Bluetooth, CDMA, TDMA, FDMA, GSM, Wi-Fi, satellite, orother cellular or wireless technology.

While some examples of methods and systems herein are described in termsof software executing on various machines, the methods and systems mayalso be implemented as specifically-configured hardware, such asfield-programmable gate array (FPGA) specifically to execute the variousmethods. For example, examples can be implemented in digital electroniccircuitry, or in computer hardware, firmware, software, or in acombination thereof. In one example, a device may include a processor orprocessors. The processor comprises a computer-readable medium, such asa random access memory (RAM) coupled to the processor. The processorexecutes computer-executable program instructions stored in memory, suchas executing one or more computer programs for editing an image. Suchprocessors may comprise a microprocessor, a digital signal processor(DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), fieldprogrammable gate arrays (FPGAs), and state machines. Such processorsmay further comprise programmable electronic devices such as PLCs,programmable interrupt controllers (PICs), programmable logic devices(PLDs), programmable read-only memories (PROMs), electronicallyprogrammable read-only memories (EPROMs or EEPROMs), or other similardevices.

Such processors may comprise, or may be in communication with, media,for example computer-readable storage media, that may store instructionsthat, when executed by the processor, can cause the processor to performthe steps described herein as carried out, or assisted, by a processor.Examples of computer-readable media may include, but are not limited to,an electronic, optical, magnetic, or other storage device capable ofproviding a processor, such as the processor in a web server, withcomputer-readable instructions. Other examples of media comprise, butare not limited to, a floppy disk, CD-ROM, magnetic disk, memory chip,ROM, RAM, ASIC, configured processor, all optical media, all magnetictape or other magnetic media, or any other medium from which a computerprocessor can read. The processor, and the processing, described may bein one or more structures, and may be dispersed through one or morestructures. The processor may comprise code for carrying out one or moreof the methods (or parts of methods) described herein.

The specification and drawings are, accordingly, to be regarded in anillustrative rather than a restrictive sense. It will, however, beevident that various modifications and changes may be made thereuntowithout departing from the broader spirit and scope of the disclosure asset forth in the claims.

Other variations are within the spirit of the present disclosure. Thus,while the disclosed techniques are susceptible to various modificationsand alternative constructions, certain illustrated embodiments thereofare shown in the drawings and have been described above in detail. Itshould be understood, however, that there is no intention to limit thedisclosure to the specific form or forms disclosed, but on the contrary,the intention is to cover all modifications, alternative constructionsand equivalents falling within the spirit and scope of the disclosure,as defined in the appended claims.

The use of the terms “a” and “an” and “the” and similar referents in thecontext of describing the disclosed embodiments (especially in thecontext of the following claims) are to be construed to cover both thesingular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearlycontradicted by context. The terms “comprising,” “having,” “including,”and “containing” are to be construed as open-ended terms (i.e., meaning“including, but not limited to,”) unless otherwise noted. The term“connected” is to be construed as partly or wholly contained within,attached to, or joined together, even if there is something intervening.The phrase “based on” should be understood to be open-ended, and notlimiting in any way, and is intended to be interpreted or otherwise readas “based at least in part on,” where appropriate. Recitation of rangesof values herein are merely intended to serve as a shorthand method ofreferring individually to each separate value falling within the range,unless otherwise indicated herein, and each separate value isincorporated into the specification as if it were individually recitedherein. All methods described herein can be performed in any suitableorder unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearlycontradicted by context. The use of any and all examples, or exemplarylanguage (e.g., “such as”) provided herein, is intended merely to betterilluminate embodiments of the disclosure and does not pose a limitationon the scope of the disclosure unless otherwise claimed. No language inthe specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimedelement as essential to the practice of the disclosure.

Disjunctive language such as the phrase “at least one of X, Y, or Z,”unless specifically stated otherwise, is otherwise understood within thecontext as used in general to present that an item, term, etc., may beeither X, Y, or Z, or any combination thereof (e.g., X, Y, and/or Z).Thus, such disjunctive language is not generally intended to, and shouldnot, imply that certain embodiments require at least one of X, at leastone of Y, or at least one of Z to each be present. Additionally,conjunctive language such as the phrase “at least one of X, Y, and Z,”unless specifically stated otherwise, should also be understood to meanX, Y, Z, or any combination thereof, including “X, Y, and/or Z.”

What is claimed is:
 1. An automated insect rearing system comprising: afood dispensing station having a horizontal surface and configured toreceive a rearing container having a population of insects disposedwithin from an insect dispensing station having a horizontal surface; afood dispenser comprising a food container and a food dispensing vessel,a first end of the food dispensing vessel coupled to a second orificedefined in the food container and a second end of the food dispensingvessel movable to be proximate to the horizontal surface to dispensefood from the food container to the received rearing container at thehorizontal surface; a robotic storage system comprising one or moreshelves to store one or more rearing containers; and a transportationunit positioned and configured to transport rearing containers from thefood dispenser to the robotic storage system.
 2. The automated insectrearing system of claim 1, wherein the transportation unit is furtherpositioned and configured to transport rearing containers from theinsect dispensing station to the food dispensing station.
 3. Theautomated insect rearing system of claim 1, wherein the transportationunit comprises a conveyor belt to transport rearing containers from thefood dispensing station to the robotic storage system.
 4. The automatedinsect rearing system of claim 1, wherein the robotic storage systemfurther comprises a robotic arm to transfer rearing containers from thetransportation unit to a shelf of the one or more shelves.
 5. Anautomated insect rearing system comprising: a robotic storage system oneor more shelves configured to receive and store one or more rearingcontainers, each rearing container comprising a population of immatureinsects; a robotic arm configured to move rearing containers from ahorizontal surface external to the robotic storage system to a shelf ofthe one or more shelves, and to remove rearing containers from theshelf; a monitoring system comprising: one or more temperature sensorspositioned to sense a temperature of an environment at the roboticstorage system; and a temperature control in communication with aheating and cooling system configured to provide heated or cooled airfrom the heating and cooling system to the robotic storage system, thetemperature control configured to adjust an ambient air temperature ofthe robotic storage system.
 6. The automated insect rearing system ofclaim 5, further comprising: a pump positioned to remove liquid from arearing container stored on a shelf of the one or more shelves; and awater dispenser positioned to add water to the rearing container.
 7. Theautomated insect rearing system of claim 5, further comprising adispensing unit, the dispensing unit comprising: a dispensing surface;and a food dispenser positioned to add food to a rearing containerpositioned on the dispensing surface; and wherein the robotic arm isfurther configured to move rearing containers from the robotic storagesystem to the dispensing unit and to move rearing containers from thedispensing unit to the robotic storage system.
 8. The automated insectrearing system of claim 5, further comprising a draining station, thedraining station comprising: a draining surface; an articulating armhaving a cutting implement; a draining conduit; and an emergence vessel;wherein the robotic arm is further configured to transport rearingcontainers from the robotic storage system to the draining station; andwherein the articulating arm is configured to cut the rearing containerusing the cutting implement to drain the contents of the rearingcontainer into the draining conduit and the emergence vessel.
 9. Anautomated insect rearing system comprising: a robotic storage systemcomprising a one or more shelves configured to receive and store one ormore rearing containers, each rearing container comprising a populationof immature insects; a robotic arm configured to move rearing containersfrom a horizontal surface external to the robotic storage system to ashelf of the one or more shelves, and to remove rearing containers fromthe shelf; a sex sorting unit comprising an imaging device and acomputing system configured to receive images from the imaging deviceand determine a sex one or more immature insects within a rearingcontainer based on the sizes of the respective one or more immatureinsects; and wherein the robotic arm is further configured to transportrearing containers from the robotic storage system to the sex sortingunit.
 10. A method for automated insect rearing comprising: dispensing,using a food dispensing station, a quantity of food into a rearingcontainer comprising a population of immature insects; transporting therearing container, using a transport unit, from the food dispensingstation to a robotic storage system, the robotic storage systemcomprising one or more shelves; moving, using a robotic arm of therobotic storage system, the rearing container from the transport unit toa shelf of the robotic storage system; monitoring, using a monitoringsystem comprising one or more sensors, the population of immatureinsects and an environment within the robotic storage system; andadjusting, by the monitoring system, the environment within the roboticstorage system based on signals from the sensors by adjusting atemperature control configured to adjust an ambient air temperature ofthe robotic storage system, the temperature control in communicationwith a heating and cooling system configured to provide heated or cooledair from the heating and cooling system to the robotic storage system.11. The method of claim 10, further comprising: dispensing thepopulation of immature insects into the rearing container using aninsect dispenser station; and transporting, using the transport unit,the rearing container from the insect dispenser station to the fooddispensing station.
 12. The method of claim 10, wherein thetransportation unit comprises a conveyor belt to transport rearingcontainers from the food dispensing station to the robotic storagesystem.
 13. The method of claim 10, wherein the robotic storage systemfurther comprises a robotic arm to transfer rearing containers from thetransportation unit to a shelf of the one or more shelves.
 14. Themethod of claim 10, further comprising: repositioning the rearingcontainer within the robotic storage system to receive food from a fooddispenser; and dispensing, using the food dispenser, a second quantityof food into the rearing container.
 15. The method of claim 14, whereinthe repositioning the rearing container and the dispensing the secondquantity of food is based on the monitoring of the population ofimmature insects by the monitoring system.
 16. The method of claim 14,wherein the repositioning the rearing container and the dispensing thesecond quantity of food is based on a predetermined feeding schedule.17. The method of claim 10, further comprising dispensing, using a waterdispenser, water into the rearing container while the rearing containeris positioned on the shelf.
 18. The method of claim 10, furthercomprising pumping water out of the rearing container while the rearingcontainer is positioned on the shelf.
 19. The method of claim 10,further comprising: capturing an image of at least a portion of thepopulation of immature insects in the rearing container by an imagingdevice of a sex sorting unit; and determining, by a computing device, asex of one or more immature insects of the population of immatureinsects based on the image.
 20. The method of claim 10, furthercomprising: transporting, using the transport unit, the rearingcontainer from the robotic storage system to a draining station; anddraining the contents from the rearing container into a draining conduitand an emergence vessel.